First off, perhaps I was a bit hasty in mocking Spatula Protection Week-- I finally bought eggs, and couldn't find a spatula for my fried eggs for two days.

    But where did I get eggs? Well, a friend of mine was kind enough to drive me to shopping. Not only to shopping, but she drove me to the Chinese Buffet, where she was kind enough to buy me dinner for no good reason. (I had a coupon, so at least I didn't cost her full price.) Even though I don't see her enough given that she lives down the street from me. How do I have friends like these? All the things that go wrong need to be balanced somewhere.

    Speaking of wrong, the problem with having a depressing month is that it's very hard to write funny, and thus your name doesn't appear in the Style Invitational nearly as much as it used to. Don't you just hate when that happens? Well, okay, but you can at least understand it.

    What I can't understand is the dream I had last night. I was undressing, and took off both socks, then after removing my shirt, I had to remove my socks again because they were somehow still on. Then again, the socks had to be removed again. It makes no sense, although I'm sure Fraud--er, Freud would find something funny going on there.

    I found something funny going on tonight-- Eric Idle. A friend and I drove up to Northampton to catch him on his Greedy Bastard Tour. Even buying tickets an hour before the show, we got fairly good seats, and it was an absolute treat to see him sing the old Python songs, tell bad jokes, and share a little bit of his own background. I saw Eric Idle! In person! Even though it was an expensive evening, it was the best money I've spent in a while, pound for pound.

    You may not have known this, but ever since my trip to England months ago, I've had a ten-pound note in my wallet. I neglected to spend it before leaving the country, and when I got back here, found that although it was worth roughly $17, there would be a $15 fee to exchange it at the bank. Bogus. I'd been trying to spend it at supermarkets, stores, everywhere, all to no avail. During intermission, I attempted to use it to purchase Eric Idle's book, and the merchandise man said that he only accepted cash. I explained that ten pounds sterling is cash, and from the same country as Eric Idle, but he wouldn't take it. So much for being accomodating.

    Eric Idle, however, was incredibly accomodating to his fans, and stayed after the show to sign merchandise. It was announced and posted that he would only sign purchased merchandise, but I got in the line anyway as my friend was going to buy a book to have signed. The line went past the table again and I asked the fellow if he had changed his mind about the English money. He said no. I appealed to him and explained that I was giving him the equivalent of $17 for a $13 book, which he responded to by asking the rest of the line if anyone wanted to buy my pounds. No. I pleaded once more, adding that surely with this fine English comedy tour, he'd have no trouble changing the pounds for dollars. Finally, he caved in, and although muttering, agreed to sell me the book for my ten pound note, which made me smile.

    Book in hand, I continued in the line to the table where Eric Idle himself was signing the merchandise, and I mentioned to him that I had just managed to talk the merchandise man into selling me the book for ten quid, which after a bit of explanation, made Eric Idle smile.

    And that is exactly what my week needed.